Part Fourteen
"Alright. Parker, I want you, Thompson, and Jones to head out this way," Detective Atkins was bent over the map, drawing a circle over a supposedly wooded area. "Instruct Klein and Green to take this route."
"Um, sir," a hand tapped him on the shoulder.
"Just a moment," he said, waving off the hand. "Have the others head this way, as a follow-up to the path the chopper is taking."
"But, sir," the tapping resumed.
"Please. Let me finish. Parker, go ahead and take the K-9 unit with you."
"Yes, sir," replied Officer Parker. He and the other officers exited the kitchen to the living room and were on their way out of the house. Jeff's house had become command central once he called the detective to update him on the latest call from Raven.
Detective Atkins turned around to face the younger Hardy. He stood there, an anxious look on his face. His brother stood behind him, his arms crossed across his chest.
"Yes, Jeff?"
"Sir, what about Matt and me? Where should we go?"
The detective shook his head. "Jeff, we've been over this. I cannot allow you to go out there and take part in this with my team. It puts your personal safety at risk."
"What about Lita's safety, detective?" Matt said from behind his brother.
"Matt, I understand where you boys are coming from. Really, I do. But you've got to realize the best place for you is right here. For one, he might call again. If that happens, I need you to be able to take the call. Second, neither one of you look very well rested."
Matt just glared at the detective. The detective noticed and quickly added, "and with good reason."
"But, sir. We just want to do everything we can. I'm perfectly willing to risk my personal safety to go. I do it every night when I enter the ring."
"I know you do, Jeff. But I'm afraid I just can't allow it. Not this time."
Matt dropped his head, too frustrated to speak. He had to admit, he was tired. Exhausted was probably a better way to describe it. But he was no where near exhausted enough to just stand by and not help Lita. Not when she needed him like this.
"Why don't you boys go get some rest?" the detective suggested. "You look really tired. It could be hours before we know anything."
"Alright," Jeff conceded. "But if anything happens, anything at all, please come get us."
"I will. I promise."
Jeff turned to go upstairs, pausing at his brother. "C'mon, Matt. Let's go upstairs and grab a short nap."
"I don't want to. I want to stay here where I can know what's going on."
"Matt, I really would like you to come upstairs and get some rest." Jeff had a certain glimmer in his eye, a look Matt had seen before, usually when his brother was up to mischief.
"Fine," he said, and followed his brother up the stairs.
Once upstairs, Matt followed Jeff into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. "So just what are you up to little brother? You don't want to sleep any more than I do."
"You know me so well." Jeff walked over to his dresser, picking up his extra cell phone and putting it in his pocket.
"You got your phone?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because the detective was right." He was now rummaging under his bed, coming up with a flashlight. "If he calls, we need to be able to answer." He walked over to his brother and handed him the flashlight.
"Detective Atkins said he couldn't allow us to go with his team. He didn't say we couldn't go of our own accord, did he?"
Matt broke into a smile. "No, he didn't. We're not prisoners here. We can come and go as we please. He'll be pissed off, you know."
"So, we'll leave him a note," he said, scribbling on a piece of paper lying on the dresser.
Jeff pointed to the window. "I'd suggest we exit through the window instead of the front door. Somehow, I don't think the detective would agree with our thought process."
Matt opened the window, and waited for his brother to approach before he began to tenuously climb out onto the trellis on the outside. "Do you know how long it's been since I've snuck out a bedroom window?"
"Yours or some girl's?"
"Ha ha. Let's go little bro."
-In the cabin in the woods-
Lita had dozed off, still tied to the chair, but she wasn't resting very well. Every time she would nod off, she'd get a sharp pain in her injured neck from the awkward position. She also thought she heard a bee buzzing around, making an annoying sound. The buzzing kept getting louder, keeping her from totally dozing off.
Suddenly, she jerked awake. That sound was not buzzing. It sounded more like a helicopter flying over. "Maybe they're looking for me," she wished. With her luck, it was probably just the local traffic reporters, making their evening runs. "But maybe Matt and Jeff figured out what I was saying and sent help." She couldn't help but get a little bit excited. She bit her lip in anticipation, listening closer to see if the choppers got any nearer.
The door flew open then, banging harshly against the wall. Raven beat a path inside, slamming the door shut again. He held a tire iron in his hand.
"I can't freaking believe this!" he shouted. He then turned the tire iron on the kitchen table, effectively demolishing the piece of furniture. He stalked menacingly towards his prisoner. "Do you know what that is out there, Lita?" He didn't give her a chance to answer. "I'll tell you what it is. It's a police helicopter, that's what!" He was shouting now. "Just what did you say to that punk earlier? Huh, what did you say?"
"N-n-nothing. I swear!"
"Well, those pansies didn't just find us on their own now, did they?" He reached into his pocket for his knife and swiftly began cutting her bonds free. Once that task was done, he reached into his other pocket and quickly slapped a pair of handcuffs on her. She'd seen those before. She was pretty sure they were the same ones he'd used on Jeff in the ring. At least her hands were now in front of her instead of behind her. That didn't hurt quite so bad. He then drug her towards the door.
"C'mon. We're outta here."
"Where are we going…." she asked, trying to keep up with his furious pace.
Raven never bothered to shut the door behind them, leaving the little cabin empty, the smashed table a grim reminder of the anger that he had within him at that moment.
to be continued